The essays in this book examine what has been written, what has not been written, what should be written, and the challenges to writing on the modern history of the United States Navy in the subject areas of forward presence, operations, personnel policy, programming and acquisition management, science, social history, strategy, and technology. These are all subjects of intense interest to the U.S. Navy’s leaders, planners, and operators. The authors are experts on their subjects. The Navy’s goal in publishing these essays is that, while serving as guides to research and writing, they will stimulate historians to publish studies of the Navy’s recent past that will help the Navy make wiser decisions informed by a keener understanding of the historical context.